CIDB registration documents: how to prepare your information

Start with the CIDB’s own requirements

The CIDB’s page on requirements for grading is the primary source for what is assessed. It sets out two determinants (track record and available capital), the documents that evidence track record, and the figures for each grade. Read it before you assemble anything, and compare it with the current application form for your grade, because forms and requirements can change.

Registration is applied for through the CIDB’s Register of Contractors. The CIDB’s home page links to the application portal and to its public contractor search, which you can use to check how a contractor is currently recorded.

Evidence of works capability

The CIDB says track record is assessed from projects completed in the five years before the application, in the class of works applied for. For each project, it lists the following documents:

The CIDB may request more documents, and projects awarded from 1 April 2021 must be registered on the CIDB Register of Projects to count as track record. Organise your documents by project so that each one tells a complete story: award, completion and payment.

Evidence of financial capability

The CIDB considers the contractor’s financial statements for the immediate past two years and the best annual turnover of those two years, together with available capital. Having these statements ready, in the form the application requires, is the single most useful preparation step.

If a financial sponsorship is part of your application, the CIDB explains that it is a guarantee or surety from a third party and that rules apply to who may sponsor and to what extent. A sponsorship is a financial commitment by the sponsor, so it is worth understanding what the sponsor is agreeing to.

Supporting information commonly requested

Applications generally also ask for details that identify the business and its principals. The table separates what the CIDB’s requirements page states from items that are commonly requested and that you should confirm on the current application form.

A practical way to prepare

1. 1

   Decide the class and the grade you are applying for

   Check the grading table and the track record and financial figures for that grade.

2. 2

   Build a project register

   List the projects completed in the last five years in that class, with the client, value, dates and where each document is kept.

3. 3

   Gather the documents for each project

   Collect awards, completion certificates, payment certificates and bank statements. Note gaps early.

4. 4

   Prepare financial statements

   Make sure the last two years’ statements are complete and in the form the application requires.

5. 5

   Check the Register of Projects

   Confirm that projects awarded from 1 April 2021 are registered.

6. 6

   Review the current application form

   Compare your pack against the form and the CIDB’s instructions before submitting.

After registration: insurance and security

Once registered, you can tender for work up to your grade, and the contracts will ask for insurance and sometimes guarantees. It helps to prepare for these in parallel. Our guide to insurance after winning a tender and the CIDB grading guide are good places to continue.